I'm down on the White Salmon still, and not sure if and when I shall return to Seattle. Otherwise I'd join you to fight the good fight

 

Fiddlesticks is correct.

The virtues of flatwater paddling are numerous and multifold.

Flatwater is the Tai Chi to the Kung Fu of Whitewater.

Learn to drive your boat independently of current.

 

A creekboat is a cumbersome, unweildy beast to push in a straight line for prolonged distances. To be adept at trimming your boat with your body (thereby freeing up your paddle to focus soley on providing forward momentum) takes a lot of flatwater paddling. Toning down the yaw that inherently occurs in any kayak so dramaticly designed to turn. You don't want to be trying to do that with your paddle, say, during a race. You want each forward stroke to only be doing just that: Moving you forward. And if you never race and never will, consider this: If your Trip Leader ever loses his boat in a canyon somewhere, you may need to race after his boat. And the quicker you get to it the less unravelled your trip will get.

 

In Flatwater you can really observe and feel the affects of the wake produced when you try to accelerate your creekboat beyond its top speed. It is interesting to pay attention to the effects this can have on the waveform generated by your wake, and therefore your ultimate speed.  It is nearly impossible to percieve these kinds of details in the whitewater environment.

 

I just enjoy it. I'd rather paddle than float. It is one of the ultimate moving meditations.